Wax seal and apparatus therefor



Oct. 19 1926.

E. T. GODDEF ROY WAX- SEAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 22, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l E. T. GODDEFROY WAX SEAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR Oct. 19 192e.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 22, 1923 Patented Get. 19, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE...

nnnnsr 'rrrnononn GODDEFROY, or BRUSSELS, BELGIUM.

WAX SEAL AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

Application filed October 22, 1923, Serial No. 670,199, and in Belgium August 23, 1923.

It has been found that when robbing envelopes or parcels sent by mail or otherwise, the robbers operate generally by quickly taking a specimen or type of the seals, and after having opened the wrapper or envelope and stealing the contents, rea'liix counterfeit seals obtained by means of the type previously formed. without possibility of perceiving fraud even by a careful inspection.

The present invention consists in a seal, as well as in an arrangement of apparatus suitable for its execution, impossible to reproduce by casting. without leaving traces such that the fraud will immediately'become apparent. The features of the seal, the different steps in its execution, as well as the main characteristics of a preferred way of constituting the apparatus used for pro ducing it, will be clearly exposed in the following complementary description with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: i

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an apparatus suitable for producing the seal of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of a mod ified form of construction.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus of Fig. 1, taken at rightangle to that of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underside of the apparatus.

Figs. 1, 5, 6. '7, 2 3 and 1 are details.

As represented, the apparatus comprises essentially a cylindrical body 1 of copper, steel or any other suitable material in which engages a rod or plunger 2, held and guid ed by the central opening of a removable cap 3. At the lower part of the rod or plunger 2 is mounted a member 1 suitably attached to the plunger 2 and sliding within the body 1.

The rod or plunger 2 is normally held raised by a spring 5 inserted in a hollow 6 provided in the cap 3 and between the cap and an operating member 6 mounted on the plunger.

The lower part of the member le mernher. shown cylindrical in the present casemay be of any desired shape, round, square, oval, star shaped, etc, and is circular in the example considered. A die or stamp 9 constituted by a letter, figure or design-a square ,die" in the example considered-is fixed or otherwise formed at the underside of the member 1. This die or stamp is preferably beveled and mounted so as to project slightly from its supporting base.

In an alternative form of carrying out the invention (Figure 1), the interior part of the body 1 is preferably of cylindrrcal form, and a die similar to member 4 of the preceding construction is mounted on the base of the plunger 2, the said die being made with a section of the desired shape and preferably with its lower end cut slightly concave.

hen the plunger 2 is pressed down, the base of the member 4. or of the die 4 cooperates with the upper edge of a central opening. of identical section, cut in the wall 8 which forms the lower side of a chamber 7 formed at the base of the body 1, in order to cut out a part of a strip of paper 11 passing under the stamps or dies, as hereafter explained. This strip 11 unwinds from a spool 12, crosses the chamber 7 by passing through the lateral slots 11 in the body 1, and winds onto a spool 13. The

two spools 12 and 13 are mounted on lateral supports 14: attached to the body 1. and

the shafts, which are fixed to the spools so as to turn with them, are formed with extensions of eyelet shape (Figure 5) or any other suitable operating member.

In the alternative arrangement shown in Figure 1 the base of the body 1 is joined and attached to the said body, for example, by screw threads. and the central opening forming the punch matrix evidently has a section of a shape identical with that of the punch 4. Under the base 8 a seal 10 is mounted in any suitable manner. In addition to the special inscriptions, this seal 10 has a central opening corresponding to that of the base 8. In the alternative con struction shown in Figure 1*, the central. opening 10 in the seal 10 is slightly larger than the opening in the base or matrix 8 and follows or surrounds the outline of the said opening.

The plunger brings the punches back into the chamber 7 under the action of the spring 5, but when the plunger is completely pressed down, the punch 4 penetrates into the opening inzthe matrix 8 cutting out a piece from the strip 11 afresh part: of which has previously been brought over the opening of the matrix 8 by suitably rotating the spool 13, and the piece cut out i a d ne b thsre s e 1 ie s I winds from a spool 19 mounted laterally that medias-seal is appl'ied toa mass of hot wax spread on a support, the piece of paper is inlaid in the wax forming the central part of thesaid seal. 1

According to the invention, the strip 11 will preferably be made of -paper on which is printed the individual monogram of the people usingthe seal. Preferably also the strip will have special perforations, the relative arrangement of which will more; over he repro'clueedjby slight projections on the undersu'rtaie'e otthe punch or punches so that when the seal is formedpthe piece cutfrom the paperstrip being pressed into the hot wax, the latter will enter the perforations and spread out over them, that; increasing considerably the adherence;

IIJ'QOIdeI to strengthen the sealing oftle e lf onr small grooves 15 are cut on the under side ottlie part 10 ofthe seal, which facilitate the flow or" hot was towards the center, and on the otherhand, as in Figures 1? and :2 corresponding grooves are out on the'interior' vertical sides of the matrix, causingthe wax tooverfiow on the punched. out-Qpaper or as in the alternative shown in Fig 'ir'es 3 and 43am, as previously indicated, the openingof the seal 10 ismade slightly lz'i-rgle'r than that of the matrix, so as to ohtaina continuous rim of war overflowinzgali around the paper. 7 v j 'A ccording'fto another feature or" the invention, a diametri al groove 16 is provided at tlie underside ofthe part 10 of the seal, [which groove has two small eavities" or stars 1 7 cutin near its ends, Before aflixing a seal, a small long-fibere'dstring 18 is drawn into the said groove. Thestring 18 is impregnated with aniline, or any other similar dye, dl1ring a previous treatment, and unon the hotly 1. The free end of the string attached to a spring stop 20 mounted on the opposite side of the body 1. When the seal is affixed, the string is caught inthe wax which penetrates into the cavities l7 and into the central opening otthe part 10 of the seal, so that the said string is thus solidly attached at three points, while passi'n'gabove the waX' of the seal between "the poi'nts of attachment,

In orclerftoaifix a seal, and aft'er having fies 'bmughe a freshjsectioii ofthe strip 11 under the punches or' dies, then introduced the string 18 into the groove 16, attaching 'ee end to the stop 20,and, finals; caused A a le quantity o'f'waxto sew onto the envelopeor othe'rsiipport, the seal is stamped by -Qth'e 'c'ro't 10 of the seal intothe then 'tli'rns -g-doen the plunger statements: into the cavities, a ial-ly covering lslidahlemeabeier dise by the 'ptniches'i-nlays on the central part oitthe seal.

Thus a wax (or similar material) seal is .providedsaidseal having essentially: a base entirely uncovered betweentlie points of at; f

taehment, the central raised portion being covered by a paper water inlaid in the wax forming the said raised portion,

lnca'se it is attempted to cast the seal, the string fibers will penetrate the mass of e ter and it will becon ie practically imto detach the c'astJ li'ioi'eover, the e with iich the string is iinpregriatetl rapidly loose its-color incontactj with water need for fternpering the plaster, will stain the parts or the envelope or support around the seal. I

Even though it werepossible to obtain the le cast, it would nevertheless be absonecessary to cut out the east along 1g in order to freetheistrin'gof the a seal, aid to have a secondstring in eve-ry way, with that used in aking the ;enuine"seal. t v In additioin it 'is doubtful whether the paper wafer, inlaid in the central part of theseal, could heseparated in a condition enabling it to be used again without the fraud being immediately apparent, particularly when the paper is impregnated by the'nioisture from the plaster. 7

Further on account of the length of time and the difficulty of the work of reproduc- 'tion, it is improbable that thieves. would attempt tov execute it. [I Finally, in order that it might be' impossible to detach the seal entirely by means of a hot blade, it will preferably beaifixe'd according-{to the special. method described in the application No. 670,198 in the name of the same inventor, and of the same date as will I. E

seal fiXedo 11jthe ta s and wa st tlie body, V amatrmfforthe' central part of the seal, a 'member carryingthe last mentioned matri ri and 'slidahl-e in the hddm and an elastic member be een the hell may "a Cl the Y eathe inntioiied tr 2. An apparatus for producing a seal of wax or similar material comprising a hollow body, a plunger slidable therein, a resilient member between the body and plunger, a ring-like matrix fixed to the underside of the hollow body, a central matrix fixed to the plunger and including a die for cutting and a die for stamping, and the base of the hollow body including a cutting matrix cooperating with the cutting die of the central matrix.

3. An apparatus for producing a seal of wax or similar material comprising a hollow body, a plunger slidable therein, a peripheral matrix fixed to the hollow body, a central matrix fixed to the sliding plunger, said central matrix comprising a punching die the base of the hollow body including a cutting matrix, and means for disengaging said central matrix from said peripheral matrix, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4:. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the hollow body is provided with slots adapted to guide a band inside of the body and under the central matrix, and

means mounted laterally on the hollow body anddadapted for supporting and moving the ban 5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein the operating side of the first mentioned matrix is provided with a slot and also provided with cavities near the ends of the slot, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the string holding spool is mounted on the hollow body, and string securing means mounted on the opposite sides of the body, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first mentioned matrix is of a ring-like sha e and is provided with a plurality of ra ial grooves and slots on the operating side and also provided on the vertical side with corresponding grooves to facilitate the feeding of the wax from the central part of the seal.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signar ture.

ERNEST THEODORE connsraor. 

